


Subject No. 00

by kibasniper



Category: Psychonauts (Video Games)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Childhood Trauma, Found Footage, Gen, Pre-Canon, Unethical Experimentation, Video, past lili & bobby friendship, sasha messes up very badly with his cheap brain tumbler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29994495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibasniper/pseuds/kibasniper
Summary: Security camera footage that should have been destroyed winds up in the hands of the campers. Bobby, bored when he sees the subject, leaves the viewing, but as the tape continues, Raz realizes it was probably for the best that he didn't stick around to watch.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Razputin Aquato & Bobby Zilch
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Subject No. 00

**Author's Note:**

> this was one of my fics for a fic jam based around the campers finding vhs tapes with them in it! this one is much darker than my other fic and was my original idea. since the prompt was writing a scene that we'd never really write, this was a great way for me to get out my headcanon about bobby's trauma from the brain tumbler in sort of vague way! also elaborates a bit more on my headcanon that lili and bobby used to be friends up until the events in the video, along with lili and kitty being friends. this fic is called "bobby goes to helltown" in my google docs.
> 
> thank you to pinky g rocket for beta reading!!

Much to the campers’ surprise, the person on screen was not one of them. Instead, he was a taller, slim, middle-aged man with black hair and thick-rimmed glasses.

“Ugh! It’s a video about Sasha? Count me out,” Bobby huffed, pushing himself off his bean bag.

Raz glanced over at him, his fascination hardly dampened. “Don’t you wanna see what he’s doing?” 

Bobby’s lip curled. “Egghead stuff. That’s what he’s doing.” He stretched his arms above his head and sauntered towards the stairs. “Have fun watching that dork.”

“I think this could be fairly intriguing, Bobby,” Chloe remarked. Bobby stopped in his tracks at her voice. “Are you sure you don’t want to observe?”

He looked at the ceiling for a moment, appearing to contemplate her offer. Ultimately, he shook his head. “Uh, thanks, but nah, I’m good. I see enough of that nerd, I mean, that guy during the day.” He waved and gave her a crooked smile. 

Chloe returned it, bending her ring finger inward. Raz assumed it was part of their secretive alien language. When Bobby hiked up the steps and vanished into the interior of the lodge, Chloe rested her legs on his bean bag.

Raz grinned to himself. It was better that Bobby had left. It meant he could watch his favorite Psychonauts agent perform without commentary from the peanut gallery. Maybe he would glean some information about Sasha from the video, perhaps even a new trick for his psychic arsenal.

Sasha hunched over his workstation. He fiddled with knobs and punched in keys. Consulting a notebook on the side of his desk, he dragged his finger down the margins and nodded as he read. Behind him was the Brain Tumbler. The magenta paint on the exterior panels was bright, fresh, and reflective. The interior lights in the intersections of wires and bolts pulsed with white electrical currents.

He raised his head slightly. Pulling his hands away from two levers, he turned around and acknowledged the shadow on the ground approaching him.

Raz’ eyes widened as the form of Bobby Zilch floated towards Sasha. Without a thought bubble in sight, Bobby hovered a few inches off the ground. Bobby twirled in place, gesturing around the lab, the security camera capturing his mouth moving. Sasha shook his head, replying and extending his hand. Bobby reached into his shorts pocket and produced a shiny red button. He set it on his fist and flicked it with his thumb. Sasha caught it with telekinesis and slipped it into his jacket pocket. 

It was the same one that Sasha had given to Raz when he arrived. Raz frowned and furrowed his brows. _What’s Sasha doing? There’s no way he’d wanna train someone like Bobby,_ he thought, crossing his arms. He knew Bobby was a veteran of Whispering Rock, but he was only a Psychic Scout. The Sasha he knew wouldn’t have been interested in a boy with basic, mundane psychic abilities. On the contrary, Raz wasn’t one to resist tooting his own horn about his latent prowess, but he had to admit his curiosity was piqued as Bobby continued floating without a thought bubble, which the acrobat still required. 

To his knowledge, Bobby required a thought bubble to levitate. _Then why haven’t I seen him float like that now? Weird._

Sasha gestured to the Brain Tumbler. Bobby scratched his head, his hand vanishing into his curly orange mop of hair. Sasha spoke, Raz assuming he was explaining its functions. But to Raz’ surprise, Sasha retrieved a clipboard from a metallic shelf in his workstation and presented it to Bobby.

“Paperwork? I thought these tests were unauthorized,” Raz mused.

“Well, that's true now, but a few years ago, if Sasha got the kid’s permission, they could be authorized. They became unauthorized after…” Lili trailed off. Raz and a few other kids looked at her. Her mouth fell open an inch. She was lost for words, her mind blank.

Behind her, Kitty grinned.

Before Raz could question Lili, the screen flickered. Gray static waves distorted the image. It grew grainer until it overpowered the screen. Raz frowned, fast-forwarding through the static and watching it twist and churn like a kaleidoscope.

It returned to normal when Bobby stood with his back to the front of the machine. Sasha attached a leather strap to Bobby’s forehead and connected it to hooks jutting out from the sides of the Brain Tumbler. Violet shards of psitanium glowed on its edges. Raz pulled his head back, a hum escaping him at the peculiar extra step. All he had to do was stand still and let it work. The strap kept Bobby in place, his eyes darting around before falling on the camera in the corner of the room.

Raz felt like Bobby was gazing right at him. He stared at the camera, his lips moving. He reached behind him and touched the underside of the machine. Flinching, he whipped his hand to his chest. Bobby glared at his palm, continuing to speak, but Sasha waved his hand, appearing to dismiss whatever he was saying.

The machine must have been whirring because it lowered. Bobby jolted. His body shook, and his mostly straight teeth pressed together. Raz remembered the sensations of being pulled into his own mind as it happened on screen to Bobby. 

But out of the corner of his eye, a spark ran across the side of the Brain Tumbler. It jumped across the metal exterior and fizzled out. Another spark followed, brighter and orange in hue. Sasha failed to notice it as he wrote in his notebook. Bobby’s head tilted, but no trace of discomfort crossed his face. His body continued swaying, his hands moving as if he was driving an invisible steering wheel.

To Raz’ disappointment, the screen cut out. Snow white filled the screen. Occasionally, shots of Bobby’s face appeared. They lasted for mere seconds. The first glimpse had Bobby perfectly still as if he had fallen asleep. The second, his eyelids fluttered open. The third, he recoiled, his chest heaving as if ready to vomit. Sasha turned to look at him, a flash of annoyance crossing his expression as the video sputtered into another white screen.

The fourth time drew Raz’ intrigue. Sasha was crouched by Bobby’s side. He examined Bobby, who was breathing heavily through his mouth.

“I knew he was a mouth breather, but this is ridiculous,” Raz quipped.

“Quiet, Raz,” Lili urged, her eyes glued to the television.

He frowned. She was privy to something only the video could clue him in on. But when it cut out again, he threw his hands up. He was ready to eject it from the VCR when he heard other children whispering behind him. Over his shoulder, he spotted Phoebe whispering to Quentin, Chops, and JT. She was rolling her hands, the shape reminding him of a thought bubble. Chops leaned towards her, speaking in a hushed tone. Raz strained his ears to hear them, but they ceased their conversation when they noticed him, equal looks of surprise written on their faces.

“So, uh, do you guys know what’s going on here?” he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching into a grin.

Before Phoebe could reply, the screen cut to black. Raz rolled his eyes and hit the fast-forward button on the remote. The constant cuts and jumps agitated him. He wasn’t going to understand anything if the tape continued combusting on itself, and he made his annoyance known by grumbling loudly under his breath.

But Raz choked down his aggravation when the video returned. Sasha’s jaw clenched. He ran his fingers across the keyboard, typing at an increased pace. Bobby’s arms and hands started twitching. His fingers curled into fists, and he gnawed on his lower lip, his crooked incisors digging in hard enough for the skin to whiten.

“Something is wrong. This distress is uncommon for a Fathian,” Chloe remarked, squeezing her way between Lili and Raz. She gripped her knees and narrowed her eyes. “Is this normal for Agent Nein’s experiments?” She whipped her head over to Raz. “Is it?”

Her intensity startled him as he blurted, “Uh, no. This is different.” A nervous chuckle ghosted past his lips. “No leather strap for me. Maybe I was too good for that.”

“That’s not funny, Raz,” Lili interjected. Raz grimaced, embarrassment coloring his cheeks a light pink.

Chloe gestured at the screen, her hands shaking. “So, why would he permit-?”

Before Chloe could further question Raz, static exploded on the screen. The sharp, crackling noise filled the room. Raz flinched and dropped the remote. His head began to throb. Dogen covered his ears, whimpering for someone to turn the volume down.

Kitty grabbed the remote before Lili could. She jabbed her finger on the fast-forward button. The static fizzled and swirled as if it was a drink someone stirred with a straw.

“Oh, come on. I want to see the good stuff before that oaf comes back,” she huffed.

Lili shot to her feet and snatched the remote out of her hands. “Stop. We’ve seen enough. Most of us know where this is going, so just end it here.” 

Kitty clicked her tongue. She cocked her head and glanced at her violet nails. “We obviously haven’t. It wouldn't be fair if we didn’t watch this through, right?”

Her hand trembled as she tightened her grip around the remote. “When have you ever cared about being fair?”

“When did you start caring about him again?” Kitty fired back, swiping the remote again. “Didn’t you guys stop being friends around this time?” She flashed her pearly white teeth as she grinned. “Well, I guess former besties still have some consideration-”

“Kitty, leave her alone!” Raz shouted, getting to his feet. He was bolstered by Mikhail getting to his feet and crossing his arms next to him. He set his hand on Lili’s shoulder, trying his best not to wince when she tensed. He glared at Kitty, his free fist shaking by his side. “Don’t ever go at Lili like that again.”

Mikhail also narrowed his eyes. “Bullying still forbidden. Reminder so you don’t make mistake twice.”

Sliding the remote to Franke, she smiled as her girlfriend pressed play. “Well, whatever. I’m still getting what I want.”

The static lightened. Dark gray and black particles turned ashen, then white. The screen glowed a soft purple, reminding Raz of the gas buried psitanium shards would emit from the ground. The screen shuddered, swirling with metallic hues before parting the curtains as if the intermission had concluded.

Gasping, Franke dropped the remote.

Bobby’s fingernails gouged into the strap. His mouth fell open, and his chest heaved. His lower body convulsed, legs kicking out and heels smashing into the floor. His head remained still, the strap forcing him in place. Eyes screwed shut, he clenched his teeth so hard Raz thought they would shatter like glass.

Sasha raced behind the Brain Tumbler, no longer in the camera’s sight. His shadow stretched across the floor. Raz saw his arms moving wildly, and the Brain Tumbler shuddered as if struck. Electricity shot out like lightning bolts and rounded the machine, coursing freely. Sasha’s shadow moved erratically, crouching and leaping, hovering and waving, using the gestures of a madman to get the Brain Tumbler under his control.

Raz’ stomach squeezed. He held his breath. Goosebumps ran up to his elbows, and he shuddered as if a chilly wind ghosted up his back. He heard Chloe groan next to him, sparing him a glance as she clenched her tiny hands into fists.

“This should not have happened. This is careless of Sasha,” she hissed, her voice cracking. Raz recoiled. He had never heard Chloe speak like that before. 

Raz swallowed. “I-it’s Sasha. He wouldn’t let-” At Chloe’s sharp look, he bowed his head. “I mean, the Brain Tumbler’s cheap. Malfunctioning is common in second-hand stuff.”

He searched Lili’s face for any sign of agreement, but like the others, she leered at the screen. He wondered when her cheeks turned pale white.

Raz noticed a slight tremor in Mikhail’s finger when he held it above their heads. “Wait. His face,” he rumbled, tugging his arm back to his chest.

A part of Raz told him to look away while everyone else stared at the screen. Franke and Kitty uttered whines of disgust. Chloe growled from the back of her throat, grabbing the bean bag and squeezing it. Milka reached over to comfort her, but Chloe nudged her offending hand away..

Blood raced down Bobby’s lips. His nostrils gushed a steady stream of scarlet over his lips and chin. His teeth and gums stained, covering the faintest hints of yellow and green.

Bobby’s mouth moved a mile a minute. It jerked from left to right, his jaw overworking. His hands gouged at the machine. His fingernails scratched through the paint. One of his nails caught in a crevice of the Brain Tumbler. His wrist snapped to the side, and his hand twisted, the nail tearing clean off and dropping to the ground. Out came a red stream dribbling down Bobby’s hand smearing the side of the Brain Tumbler.

Thick, gray smoke wafted from the Brain Tumbler’s midsection. Sasha hurried over and fanned the smog out of his face. Sparks pierced Bobby’s neck, shoulders, and back. His convulsions worsened, the strap threatening to tear clean off. Sasha bolted to Bobby and snatched the hook, but he jolted backward, sparks springing in the space between his hand and the strap.

But as Raz watched, transfixed to the point of sickness, a shadow lunged across the ground. It hurried to Sasha’s side, the crooked spine and wild mustache belonging none other to Ford Cruller. He surveyed the situation in a heartbeat, Sasha appearing lost for words when he gazed at his superior.

Ford elbowed Sasha into his workstation. He gripped his forehead and extended his arm. He shot Bobby a glance as psychic energy collected in his brow. His head jerked back as it fired. The beam of raw mental energy skewered through the Brain Tumbler. Metal split apart at the wiry seams. Electricity continued crackling until it sputtered out. From the broken contraption came nothing but dark smog filling the lab, the red glow of an alarm brightening the upper left corner of the screen.

Bobby broke free from the strap. He collapsed, still for a matter of seconds. But as Ford approached him, he whipped his head up and shrieked. The veins in his brow and neck threatened to burst out from his skin, the intensity of his silent scream causing Sasha to cover his ears.

Bobby writhed on the tiles, seizing. He wailed at the top of his lungs. Smoke wafted from his brow and the tips of his curly hair. His foot connected with the closest cardboard box and scattered the manilla folders and notebooks across the lab.

Ford knelt by Bobby, who grabbed his head and nearly bashed it into the ground. If Raz had to guess, the slightly darker stains on Bobby’s cheeks were tears, but what made his stomach churn was the blood gushing down his nostrils and splattering on the floor.

Sasha’s mouth hung open. He observed the Brain Tumbler, and then dragged his head over to Ford rocking the sobbing boy in his arms. Sasha looked at the camera, his glasses sliding down to the bridge of his nose. His beady eyes seemed nonexistent as he struggled for composure.

Without a moment of hesitation, he fired a PSI blast at the camera. A whisper in the back of Raz’ subconscious informed him Sasha was trying to destroy the evidence, and he couldn’t think of a counterargument.

The video cut out. Static once again conquered the screen. The PSI cadets remained silent, only the sharp breathing from Lili and Chloe filling the room.

Footsteps creaked in the main lodge. “Hey! Is that snore-fest of a tape over?

Raz twitched. He willed himself to look over his shoulder

Bobby leaned into the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. A bag of potato chips was tucked between his forearm and stomach. “So, what did Sasha Nein the Science Guy do?” he sneered, cackling as if he had just told the world’s funniest joke.

The campers stared at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Bobby’s smirk fell. He glared at the younger kids and searched the expressions of his peers for answers. Lili looked away, and Kitty snickered behind her hand, Franke fiddling with the hem of her camp shirt next to her. Raz stared at the carpet and pulled his goggles over his eyes.

“What?” Bobby croaked out. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Chloe ejected the video and told him it was nothing.


End file.
